<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
It is derived from the word <em>zukhruf-an</em> which occurs in verse 33 of
this Surah.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
It could not be known from any authentic tradition, but a study of its
subject matter shows that this Surah also was sent down in the same
period in which the Surahs Al-Mumin, As-Sajdah and Ash-Shura, were sent
down. It appears that the revelation of this series of the Surahs began
when the disbelievers of Makkah were planning to put an end to the
Holy Prophet's life. Day and night they were holding consultations in
their assemblies as how to eliminate him, and even an attack on his
life also had been made as has been clearly referred to in vv. 79-80.
</p>
<h2>Theme and Topics</h2>
<p>
In this Surah a forceful and severe criticism has been made of the
Quraish and the common Arabs creeds and superstitions of ignorance in
which they persisted, and their stubbornness has been exposed in a
firm and effective way, so that every member of the society, who was
reasonable in some degree, should be made to consider the evils in
which the community was involved and its tyrannical treatment of the
person who was trying to redeem it. 
</p>
<p>
The discourse starts in a way as
if to say: "You, by means of your mischiefs, want that the revelation
of this Book should be stopped, but Allah has never withheld the
appointment of His Prophets and the revelation of His Books because of
the mischief of the people, but has destroyed the wicked people, who
obstructed the way of His guidance. The same He will do again. A
little further in vv. 41-43 and 79-80 the same thing has been
reiterated. Though the people who were plotting against his life are
meant, the Holy Prophet has been addressed to the effect: "whether you
remain alive or not, We will certainly punish the wicked," and the
people themselves have been plainly warned to the effect: "If you have
decided to take an action against Our Prophet, We too will take a
decisive action." 
</p>
<p>
Then, it has been told what is the reality of the
religion that the people are following so devotedly and what are the
arguments on whose strength they are resisting Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace and Blessings). 
</p>
<p>
They themselves admit that the Creator
of the earth and heavens and of themselves and their deities is only
Allah. They also know and admit that the blessings they are benefiting
from, have been bestowed by Allah; yet they insist on making others
associates of Allah in His Godhead. 
</p>
<p>
They regard the servants as the
children of Allah, and that too daughters, whom they regard as
disgraceful for themselves. 
</p>
<p>
They believe that the angels are
goddesses; they have carved their images as females; they adorn them
with female dresses and ornaments, and call them daughters of Allah:
they worship them and invoke them for the fulfillment of their needs.
How did they know that the angels were female? 
</p>
<p>
When they are rebuked
for these superstitions, they present the pretense of destiny and say
:"Had Allah disapproved of these our practices, we could not have
worshiped these images, whereas the means of finding out whether
Allah had approved of something or not, are His Books and not those
things which are happening in the world according to His Will. For
under His Will not only idol worship but crimes like theft and
adultery, robbery. murder, etc. also are being committed. Can this
argument be used to justify as right and proper this commission of
every crime and evil is the world? 
</p>
<p>
When it is asked: Have you any other
authority, apart from this wrong argument, for the polytheism of
yours?They reply, "The same has been the practice since the time of
our forefathers." In other words, this in their opinion is a strong
enough argument for a creed's being right and true, whereas the
Prophet Abraham, descent from whom is the only basis of their pride
and distinction, had rejected the religion of his elders and left his
home, and he had discarded every such blind imitation of his
forefathers, which did not have the support of any rational argument.
Then, if these people had to follow their elders only, for this also
they selected their most ignorant elders and abandoned their most
illustrious elders like the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (on whom be
peace). 
</p>
<p>
When they are asked: "Has ever a Prophet or a Book sent down
by God also given this teaching that others beside Allah too are
worthy of worship? they present this practice of the Christians as an
argument that they took Jesus son of Mary as son of God and worshiped
him; whereas the question was not this whether the community of a
Prophet had committed <em>shirk</em> or not, but this whether a Prophet had
himself taught <em>shirk</em>. Jesus son of Mary had never said that he was son
of God and that the people should worship him. His own was the same
teaching which every other Prophet had given "My Lord as well as your
Lord is Allah: so worship Him alone." 
</p>
<p>
They were disinclined to believe
in the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet because he was neither a rich
man nor a person of high worldly position and rank. They said "Had
Allah willed to appoint a prophet among us, He would have appointed
one of the great men of' our two cities (Makkah and Taif). On that
very basis, Pharaoh also had looked down upon the Prophet Moses and
said: "If Allah, the King of the heavens, had to send a messenger to
me, the king of the earth, He would have sent him with bracelets of
gold and a company of angels in attendance. Wherefrom has this
mendicant appeared I am superior to him, for the kingdom of Egypt
belongs to me, and the canals of the River Nile are flowing under my
control. What is the status of this man as against me? He has neither
wealth nor authority." 
</p>
<p>
Thus, after criticizing each practice of
ignorance of the disbelievers and rejecting it with rational arguments,
it has been pointed out: "Neither has God any offspring, nor are there
separate gods of the earth and heavens, nor is there any intercessor
who may be able to protect from His punishment those who adopt
deviation knowingly. Allah is far above this that He should have
children. He alone is the God of the whole Universe: all others are
His servants and not associates in His attributes and powers, and only
such men can intercede with Him, who are themselves followers of the
Truth and they also can intercede only for those who may have adopted
obedience of the Truth in the world."
</p>

